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Gold collapses, cocoa rises

Cool, wet weather across much of the Midwest is plaguing farmers who are unable to plant their corn crop into soggy, cold soil. Some weather watchers fear that unfavorable weather could continue through early May, putting some farmers far behind schedule to plant this year’s crop. Currently, most analysts believe that only 7 percent of the US corn crop has been planted so far, compared to an average of 19 percent for this time of year.

Despite the problems that farmers are experiencing, corn prices have not responded, indicating that most traders are still optimistic that a huge crop will be planted on time. As of midday Friday, the value of this year’s fall crop December corn was $5.46 per bushel.

Unusually cold weather across the Midwest has also supported natural gas prices, which continued rallying this week, climbing 20 cents (+4.7%) to $4.42 by Friday morning, the highest price in nearly two years.

Gold collapse sets 30-year record

Gold prices continued crumbling this week, melting to the lowest level in over two years. On Monday alone, prices fell $140 per ounce (-9.3 percent), the largest one-day drop since 1980.

The precious metal lost its luster as news reports broke on Sunday night of a slowdown in the Chinese economy, which spurned more selling after the previous week’s Cyprus-driven sell-off. The tragedy in Boston on Monday afternoon and ensuing uncertainty were also cited by some traders as accelerating a general sell-off in commodities which put additional pressure on the gold market, pushing prices as low as $1,321 on Tuesday. By the end of the week, gold had stabilized near $1,400 per ounce, recovering almost half of its losses.

Crude oil, copper, and the S&P 500 stock index futures also began the week with a tumble, but stabilized by week’s end.

Cocoa rises on supply fears

Cocoa prices gained this week as reports out of the Ivory Coast indicated that the upcoming harvest could be smaller than expected and slow to arrive in consuming markets in Europe and North America. The African country produces more than a third of the world’s cocoa, making supply shortages from that nation felt throughout the chocolate-loving world. As of midday Friday, cocoa for delivery in May was worth $2,331 per metric ton, up $70 (+3.1 percent) during the week.

Opinions are solely the writer's. Walt Breitinger a commodity futures broker in Valparaiso, IN. He can be reached at (800) 411-3888 or www.indianafutures.com. This is not a solicitation of any order to buy or sell any market.

Comments

shucks

Sat, 04/20/2013 - 7:49am

What?
No comment from the financial expert and his boy?

Licorice Schtick

Sat, 04/20/2013 - 5:26pm

Salty tears prob'ly shorted out his keyboard.

shucks

Sat, 04/20/2013 - 5:39pm

LOL !

shucks

Sat, 04/20/2013 - 5:48pm

Moderators have removed this comment because it contained Personal attacks (including: name calling, presumption of guilt or guilt by association, insensitivity, or picking fights).

Contango

Sun, 04/21/2013 - 7:38am

@ Licorice Schtick:

And that would be why?

My DIVERSIFIED investment portfolio is still up 2.5% YTD, about where it was 2 wks ago.

How's your retirement savings plan doin' or are you intending to attempt to survive off your Soc. Security entitlement crumbs?

BTW: My GLD holdings represent 0.012 of my entire invested assets.

Buy low, sell high and happy investing little buckaroo.

shucks

Sun, 04/21/2013 - 7:53am

The truth comes out- little by little.

Contango

Sun, 04/21/2013 - 8:10am

Which means what?

shucks

Sun, 04/21/2013 - 6:13pm

Moderators have removed this comment because it contained Personal attacks (including: name calling, presumption of guilt or guilt by association, insensitivity, or picking fights).

"#1 According to Zero Hedge, the U.S. Mint set a new all-time record for the number of gold ounces sold on Wednesday...

According to today's data from the US Mint, a record 63,500 ounces, or a whopping 2 tons, of gold were reported sold on April 17th alone, bringing the total sales for the month to a whopping 147,000 ounces or more than the previous two months combined with just half of the month gone."